Holder for automobile-top bows.



' PATBNTBD 1350.81, 190'7.

'8. D. HUNTER. HOLDER FOR AUTOMOBILE TOP Bows.

. Na, 874,988. M

y 9 fz tomobilc-Top -Bws,

' with i 'UNITED STAT STEPHEN D. HUNTER, OFP,H ILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

HoLnEn Fon .AUToMoBILE-Tor BoWSz.

To all who'm 'it mayoncem:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN D. HUNTER, a citizen of tlie United States, residing at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania,-have invented a new and useful Improvement in Holders forV Auoflwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference bein had to the accompanyin drawings, whic form a art of this specification.

The invention relittes to automobile tops and more particularly to the bows or bowsockets thereof and the seouring of the same in folded position. As is well known, there are a plurality of bows on each side, which bows may be'of tubular steel or wood, and' may be covered or uncovere'd. When the top is not in use, the bows are folded down into a horizontal position and the flexible top cover tucked in between them, When so folded down, means should be devised to hold them spaced apart and in fixed relation each other, as otherwise the jolting to which the vehicle is subjected ca'uses the bows tobe constantly in motion, With resultant serious injury, due to mutual frietional contact, to the top cover and to the bows.

The specific object of my invention is to provide a device by means of which th'e bows, when in folded position, inay be held spaced apart and stationary with relation to the carbody and to each otlier, so as to altogether avoid the damafre arising from any ;distiirbance of the desired fixed relation between,

the bows.

At the'same time, the object of the invenJ tion isl to accomplish this result by a device that may be i'eadily engaged with, and disengaged from, the'bows, so as to faeilitate the setting up or taking down of the top.

In the di'awings: Figure l is a side elevation of the bows in folded position with my improved holder in operative relation therewith; Fig. Fig. 1. the spacing plates. Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the lower spacing )late.

a, b, are the rear pair of bows, the bow b being pivotally moui'ited on a pin b' secured to a bracket Z)2 on the car-body, and the bow a being pivotally mountcd on an ear a' projecting from the bow b.

c, d, are the front pair of bows, the bow c having a pivot pin c' which, when the to is set up, pivotally engages an orifieed mem er Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed August 24| 1907. Serial No. 389,940.

serted into 'an ori backwardly beyond the rear of .rests the lower bow 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of* .substantially Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of" Patented Dec. 3 1, 1-307.

(not shown) on the front of the car-body, and the blow d being pivotally mounted on 'an ear d' projecting from `the how c. When the top is to be taken down, the bow c is disengaged from' its su cein an ear 02 secured to the pivoted end 'of the ,bow b. Thus all the 'port and its pivotpin inbows arehinged, directly or indirectly, on a common pivot and are folded down to occupy the position shown in Fig. 1, 'in which the' bows are arranged in a horizontal posithe other and extending the car-body.

tion, one above The arrangement above described is substantially old' and well known.,- and Ipydnvention-eonsists in the device for securely holding the bows spaced apart and in the position illustrated device comprises, in general, a lower end spacing. or clamping plate e upon which a, spacing vplates eX- tending between adjacent bows, a rod g upon which the plates f are strung, an upper member h against which the upper bow d is confined, and l,an adjusting thumb-nut 'i engaging a threaded part of the rod g and the lower end plate e-and by means bf'which' the bows are fastened position or released.

The device is shown as supported upon a braoket lc secured to'the back vof the rear seat, the said braoket having a transversely extendin end inserted within a hollow boss 84 depen held in position by means vof a ,set-screw 85.

Each spacing plate f comprises a substantially' rectallg'ular shaped metal frame having its interior cut away to ,forma su stantially rectangular orifiee intotwhich is `sprung a rubber cushion or padf This pad is suhstantially thicker than the metal frame The spacing plate f also coinprises a boss f3 through which extends the upright rod g.

The lower end plate e is eonstructed in the same manner as the spacing'plates f, the only difference being that the metal frame e" is somewhat dished out on its upper side, and is provided centrally With a do ii'ession iiito w iich the pad eg is sprung. 'l`he pad 82 is of suliicient thickness to project above the frame e'. The plate e in'the drawings, This ing from the lower end plate e and and projects above and below the'frame. i

also eomprises the boss e through whielr oxtonds the rod g. The upper end of the rod y is beiit-ti'aiisversoly iin'viirdly so :is to form the upper viid iiwinbei'lz, eiigaging the upper bow d. The upper how may have o Scribed, the bows are swung into the position shown in Fig. 1,l one after another, and the spacing plates f slipped upw'ardly on the rod g and arranged to alternate with the bars, as shown. The nut is then turned to draw down the rod g and the upper member h inte al therewith until the bows are hel'd Withln the holder with the desired tightness. To release the bows when it is desired to set up the top, it is only necessary to unscrew .the nut 'i until the clamping pressure of the holder members is released, whereupon the rod g may be given a quarter turn, 'permitting the bows to be swung upwardly. o

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by' Letters Patent is:

1. A holder for the bows of an automobile top, eomprising a rod; a meinber carried at one end of the rod against which one outside bow is adaptedi to abut, a series of spacing' 'plates supported by, and freely movable along, said r'od and adapted to be arranged alternately With respect to the bows, andan end plate carried by the rod and adapted to abut Iagainst the other outside bow and means to move the end plate toward said end member, thereby moving all the plates -along the rod and 4clamping the bows.

2. Aholder for the bows of an automobile j top, 'comprising an upright' rod, spaeing to be arranged alternately with respect'to the bows, and adjusting means adapted to move said plates along the rod and relatively toward each other, thereby clamping the bows.

3. A holder for the bows of an automobilel top, comprising an upright rod, spacing plates freely movable thereon and adapted to receive said bows, one between each two adj acentplates, and a nut'engaging said rod and one of said plates.

4. A holder for the bows of an automobile top colnprising an upright threaded rod, an end mein ber carried by said rod and adapted to engage one of said bows, spacing plates sleeved and freely movablethereon, and a nut on said rod engaging one of said plates.

5. A holder for the bows of an au'toinobile top comprising a lower end plate, an upright rod extending through said plate, an upper end member carried by said rod, a series of' spaoing plates sleeved and freely movable on said rod between said lower end plate and upper end member, and means to adjustably move said rod vertically with relation to the lower end plate.

i 6. A holder for the bows of an automobile top comprising a lower end plate'having a depression, a pad seated in and projeeting above said depression, an upright rod on which said plate is sleeved, an lupper end member carried by said rod, a series of orifieed'frames sleeved on said rod between 

